Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Did you take classes or go to college for film and/or photography?

It's actually a rather unfortunate story. In early 2008, I was already a few years into my film career, working on mostly local projects, but it wasn't enough. I got a job at a major telecommunications company to help things along. I found that they had a program that paid for your college tuition if you were pursuing a degree in business, communications or a related field. The University of Tampa's (the school I had always wanted to attend) film program fell under a degree in communications so I jumped on it. Everything was going extremely well, working with many great professors and getting A's on every film assignment I cranked out and learning so much along the way. In April 2009, my son was diagnosed with spinal meningitis at only 9 weeks old. I spent every second of every day by his side at the hospital. Due to a lack of focus for other things going on in my life, I had failed to communicate to my professors my situation and I ended up failing the classes I was enrolled in. I was put on academic probation and was able to return to retake the classes, but I lost my job during that time as well, which included the tuition assistance. So I had no choice but to do my best to continue furthering my film career. I am very thankful that my hard work and creativity has gotten me to the point I am now, but I still know that all the technical knowledge I was gaining at UT would have helped me tremendously. My advice is that if you have an opportunity to go to school, do it... and learn as much as you can. If you are unable to, which most of us are these days, it's okay. You still have a chance as long as you stay focused and grind it out on the steep learning curve that you'll have. Diligence is the key.

Do you only work in the martial arts and action part of film? Are you interested in doing any other genres?

I work mostly in the action genre and the martial arts subgenre simply because it's what I love to do. As a martial artist, I love the artistic aspect of creating visual imagery that is an extension and continuation of the story being told. I feel it is the most challenging genre to work in, which makes it the most rewarding. As far as other genres, I have assisted other films in different capacities that were not action-based and I enjoyed them. I would like to delve into other genres in the future with the right stories, but martial arts/action will always be my home.

Who are some of your inspirations for what you do in your movies?

The people who have inspired me to do what I do are the best action directors and producers in the business. Panna Rittikrai is the mastermind behind the action of Tony Jaa and Jija Yanin and his work motivates me to make my fights look as realistic as possible, not just with contact, but with a proper sense of time and concept of how a real fight would go down. Others include Yuen Woo-Ping, John Woo and Luc Besson. Because I feel that a great movie has elements of all genres, I have also been inspired by filmmakers outside the martial arts/action genre, such as Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez for their exciting visual style, Guillermo del Toro and Darren Aronofsky for their beautiful cinematic imagery, J.J. Abrams for his clever use of angles and presentation to create mystery and build suspense and Steven Spielberg for his superb storytelling.

What are some of you inspirations in your photography work?

I'm really inspired by the whole world around me. I've traveled extensively and have seen so much beauty, as well as sadness, in the world. The diversity of the world is what inspires me to keep my photography diverse and alive with nature, people and activities. Other photographers who have come before me that I admire are those who captured individuals using their talents to change the world or showed us a world we would have never seen otherwise: Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange, Baron Wolman and David LaChapelle are just some who have brought light to my vision.

Do you still work on short films and local projects?

I began on the local scene making shorts and I never forget where I started. I found that many successful filmmakers continue to make shorts, long into their career as a way of experimenting, keeping their skills sharp between major projects, pitching an idea to a studio that could be expanded and even just helping out their friends. There have been a few that really believed in me and supported my work along the way and I am forever grateful. Once my projects that are in development in Asia come to fruition and things settle down, I plan to come back to the U.S. and work on some concepts I have between major projects that will include my friends. I have also made it a point in the past and still continue to do to this day is assist film students in different capacities on their projects, especially those of The University of Tampa where I attended and Ringling College of Art & Design in my current home of Sarasota when my schedule permits.

What martial arts do you study? What's it like to train with Marrese Crump?

Being friends with Marrese and training with him is truly an honor. His philosophy and approach to the martial arts is so innovative and effective that I can really see the improvement in my understanding and my skill in the martial arts each and every time I train with him. My training doesn't happen with him as often as I'd like, so I sought out one of his original teachers. I wanted to really start taking my training seriously ever since Marrese closed the academy, so I looked up Mestre Rony Costa that runs the world class Capoeira Volta Ao Mundo Academy here in Sarasota and is the main reason why I moved here. I actively train in Capoeira almost every day, especially with my son who has fallen in love with it as well. I still train with Marrese when I can in many different styles and I also study FCS Kali through a DVD tutorial collection made by Tuhon Ray Dionaldo and I reinforce and supplement that training with Marrese and Tuhon Ray when I meet with them.

I noticed you have body modifications. What are all of them?

I have Native markings that run from the top of my forearms all the way up to my shoulders and across my chest, back and part of my neck and have plans to get more soon, including some traditional scarification. I also have my earlobes stretched to 26mm, which is just a shade over 1". I get most of my plugs in 1" though so they can fit comfortably. Most of my plugs are all natural and organic, made from wood and stone, but I do wear 26mm silicone plugs on a regular basis, especially when I'm training because they stay in better and won't get damaged like my wood and stone plugs. My favorite place to get wood plugs is Omerica Organic. I'm also a Street Rep for them, which means you get 20% off your first order from them when you use my Rep Code: VEGA. The rest of my plugs I normally get from local artisans when I travel, especially Thailand where I have gotten some of the most beautiful and precious pairs I own.

end faq